


Toxic

by ILOVELIAMD



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Bisexuality, Disability, Explicit Sexual Content, Internal Conflict, Love/Hate, M/M, Mild Language, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29773167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ILOVELIAMD/pseuds/ILOVELIAMD
Summary: oleg plays wicked games with ivar's emotions
Relationships: Freydis/Ivar (Vikings), Hvitserk/Ivar (Vikings), Ivar/Katya (Vikings), Ivar/Oleg (Vikings), Katya/Oleg (Vikings)
Kudos: 14





	1. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ivar and oleg meet for the first time

"keep moving," a voice called out through the darkness. they were practically walking blind, the only light provided was a single torch being carried out front by the leader of the group. the thirteen men shuffled on along the long, dark corridor. it was otherwise silent aside from the distinct sound of a body being dragged in the midst of the group. even their footsteps were unheard as they navigated the palace's labyrinth of halls.

"halt," the leader of the group called out after a few more minutes of walking and all movement ceased behind him. he knocked on the wooden door in front of him and it creaked open. light flooded into the hall from inside the room and the torchlight was put out. 

three tall men were already waiting inside for the group to arrive. two of them were dressed in all black underneath silver helmets and armor plates, their swords tucked into their belts. they seemed to be guards of some sort, flanking the third man who had a bowl cut and was dressed in bright red royal garb. he wore lots of gold and jewels around his neck, putting forth a clear display of his obscene wealth.

"forward," a gruff voice sounded from behind the group of men and ten of the men filed in one after the other into the large room. the last three came in shortly after, two of them dragging a third man behind them. he was alive, but appeared to be unable to stand and he wasn't a man at all, but rather a boy who looked to be in his late teens.

"kneel," the leader of the group ordered and ten of the men dropped down onto their knees simultaneously. the man who had been bringing up the rear roughly grabbed the boy that was dragged in underneath his armpits and held his weak form up in a kneeling position.

"welcome, gentlemen," the man with the bowl cut finally spoke, a sinister-looking smile plastered onto his face.

"thank you, your highness," the leader of the group greeted the man with a modest bow. "we traveled a long way along the silk road to stand before you today. my name is harald, harald finehair," he introduced himself. "and this is my partner, torstein," he said, gesturing towards the man who was holding up the boy. "we are slave traders, as you well know. we have men and women for sale for both labor and sexual purposes, but we received word in scandinavia that you were looking to find a man to fulfill certain...fantasies for you. so, we brought these eleven young men for you to choose from that are familiar with tending to the needs of other men who also have such...proclivities."

"please call me prince oleg and they look agreeable enough, but i would like to examine them each properly."

"undress," torstein ordered and he ripped the shirt from the torso of the boy's body while the other kneeling men quietly removed their shirts.

prince oleg slowly walked up and down the line of men, examining them as if they were brood mares. all of them looked up at the prince in anticipation, all except the youngest boy whose eyes were glued to the floor. oleg stopped squarely in front of him, intrigued by the boy when he noticed his legs were bound together by these contraptions made of iron and leather.

"what's wrong with him?" oleg asked curiously, tilting his head to the side. 

harald snorted. "what's not wrong with him? he's a cripple from from birth, his legs are deformed and his bones snap like twigs. he can't stand or walk on his own. in fact, the only thing he's good for is a good fucking."

"what's your name?" the prince asked the boy.

"ivar," he mumbled quietly, staring at the prince's boots.

torstein smacked the back of ivar's head while still using the other arm to support his bodyweight. "you have absolutely no respect for your superiors, look at the prince when he's talking to you," he hissed. 

ivar looked up at oleg with glassy eyes, biting down hard on his bottom lip in an effort to keep himself from crying. oleg bent down and gently took ivar's chin in his hands, turning his head from side to side. 

ivar was utterly beautiful, there was no denying that. he had these piercing blue eyes and long, dark brown hair that was shaved down on the sides, but the rest if it was gathered in a knot just above the base of his neck. in contrast to the lack of muscle definition in his thighs, his upper body was strong and hard. his chest and shoulders were covered in black ink, depicting a plethora of nordic symbols. his back, forearms, and even his stomach were littered with scars which oleg assumed he acquired from enduring abuse as a slave. 

oleg let go of his chin and straightened up, still never taking his eyes off of ivar who appeared to be fearful under his intense gaze. 

"i want this one."

harald wasn't surprised by this at all. many of the men that he came across in this business who liked to lay with other men had chosen ivar to spend the night with over the other young men. he suspected it was because of a combination of the fact that ivar was so young and that his disability rendered him defenseless and docile in the mens' eyes, so they were essentially free to do whatever they pleased with him...hence the scars.

"alright, that'll be 7 silver pieces or 2 gold pieces to have him for the night."

oleg chuckled, shaking his head. "i don't want him for the night, i want him permanently. name your price."

ivar's eyes widened as did the slave traders' eyes. torstein and harald exchanged and uneasy look.

"prince oleg," harald addressed the prince, turning back to meet his eyes once again. "w-we thought you were looking for a slave solely for sexual purposes, we only sell slaves for labor permanently and ivar can't-"

"i do want him solely for sexual purposes," oleg stated matter-of-factly, interrupting harald. "and i want him permanently, not for one measly night. i'll pay whatever."

"a-are you sure? he's a lot more trouble than he's worth. wouldn't you rather choose another of these young men to own who can actually perform tasks for you?"

"i'll pay you 20 pounds in gold."

"sold," torstein shrugged, releasing ivar from his grip. the boy's upper body fell forward and he braced his upper body with his arms to prevent himself from landing on the concrete floor face first. 

"NO!" the man who was kneeling next to ivar yelled out. he looked frantically between ivar, oleg, and harald. he was the man who had helped torstein drag ivar into the room and oleg noticed that he and ivar bore a slight resemblance to each other. this man looked a little older than ivar, his hair was blonde, his skin was fairer, his eyes were an emerald green color, and his body was covered in old battle scars. they were so different and yet, he wore his hair the exact same way as ivar and he had the exact same markings tattooed on his upper body. 

"take me instead," the fair-haired boy pleaded with oleg as he started to stand up. but before he could get to his feet, harald's fist connected with his face so hard that oleg swore he heard a bone crack. his body fell to the floor with a thump, but he was still conscious.

"HVITSERK!" ivar cried out, tears now streaming freely down his face.

"shut up or you're next," harald hissed, threatening ivar.

with some effort, hvitserk pushed his body up into a sitting position and spit some blood out onto the floor. he turned towards harald with a look so full of anger and hatred that if looks could kill, harald surely would have been six feet under. before the blonde boy could do anything else, torstein came up behind him and trapped him in a chokehold.

"i-i'll go, just please don't hurt him," ivar pleaded, looking up at harald.

a few moments passed before harald curtly nodded and turned back to oleg, who appeared to be amused by their little display. 

"leiv, bring these men their chest of gold so they can be on their way," oleg commanded and the guard on his left flank swiftly exited the room. 

oleg crouched down so he and the boy were at eye-level before gently taking his chin in his hand once again, turning ivar's face towards his. his dark eyes bore into ivar's bright ones and ivar's chest heaved unevely. oleg smirked darkly and leaned forward to whisper something in ivar's ear.

"you belong to me now..."


	2. The Ugly Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oleg gets to know ivar a little better

ivar sat on the concrete floor with his legs stretched out in front of him, still bound together by the iron braces. oleg sat directly in front of him but on his bed, staring down at ivar. ivar gulped nervously, cowering under oleg's intense gaze. his eyes traveled all around the room, looking everywhere but into oleg's. he had been with plenty of men before, but never with a man as powerful as oleg. ivar wondered why the prince chose him of all people when he could have anyone he wanted, man or woman. why did he even need a sex slave at all?

as ivar glanced around the room, he began to really take in his surroundings. this room seemed to be the prince's bedchamber, or one of them at least. oleg's bed was enormous, yet it hardly took up any space in the large room. there was a long, mahogany table near the left wall decorated with candles, a bible, and multiple gold chalices. different pieces of exquisite artwork adorned every wall and in the center of the room, there was an immense crimson rug with intricate gold patterns sewn throughout. what also stood out to him was the huge fireplace opposite from the bed, radiating warmth all throughout the chamber. 

"look at me," oleg commanded, snapping ivar out of his trance.

he quickly faced forward, hesitantly meeting oleg's eyes. he couldn't deny that oleg was attractive, in fact, he was one of the most attractive men ivar had ever seen which just confused him even more. why would he want a cripple, a nobody, a scourge like ivar around? oleg's creamy white skin was a stark contrast to his dark hair and dark eyes and even with all his clothes on, ivar could tell he was well-built underneath it all. 

"let your hair down."

ivar did as he was told, reaching into his hair with one hand and expertly untying it. he shook his head from side to side, letting his long, thick hair flow down to his shoulders. oleg hummed in satisfaction.

"do you even know where you are, slave?" he asked, placing his left hand on the bed and his right hand on his knee.

"y-yes," ivar stuttered. "we're at the palace in kiev, the capital of rus. we traveled here from scandinavia along the silk road. there's so much snow and ice here in rus, even more than what we're accustomed to in norway. we lost a few men to the elements along the way..." ivar's voice trailed off and his gaze fell to the floor.

"how did you become a slave? were you born into it or did you lose your freedom?" oleg asked curiously, scooting forward so that he was on the very edge of the bed.

"i was taken captive by the slave traders a couple years ago," ivar muttered quietly, playing with the strings on his trousers absentmindedly. "my father was the king of kattegat, a town in norway until our allies in wessex, the saxons, turned on us and attacked our lands. my father, uncle, and two eldest brothers were killed in battle. after they had defeated our army, they pillaged our homes and burned the town down around us. finally, they rounded up all of the survivors and began to either kill or kidnap every woman left alive in our village. my mother, older sister, and fiancée were raped and murdered by saxon soldiers right in front of me. me and two of my brothers were the only people in our family who survived the attack, but we had nothing left. so, when hordes of vagabonds came to our lands after the saxons left to pick off what was left of kattegat, we were taken hostage by a group slave traders."

oleg sat quietly for a few moments, digesting all that ivar had told him. he was so young and yet, he had been through so much in such a short amount of time. nearly his entire family had been decimated right before his eyes, no doubt he was traumatized. but going through what he went through, losing his family and enduring life as a slave, had obviously matured him.

"was that one of your brothers who tried to take your place before? what was his name? vilts-" 

"hvitserk," ivar interrupted, correcting oleg on the pronunciation. "his name was hvitserk. and yes, he's my brother. our other brother that also survived, sigurd, died on the journey here. it was freezing and his body just...couldn't take it."

"come here." oleg patted the spot on the bed beside him with his right hand. 

ivar looked up nervously and saw oleg giving him a devious half-smile. why was he asking all of this? why did he care about ivar's family or how he became a slave? he began using his arms to slowly drag himself over to the bed and then with much effort, he gripped the side of the bed, pulling himself up onto the furniture. it took him a minute, but eventually he had himself in a comfortable seated position beside oleg on the end of the bed. oleg turned to face him and gently placed his right hand on ivar's knee. despite the warmth emanating from the fire, a chill ran up ivar's spine.

"one day, you and i will lead a vast army to wessex to crush those that destroyed your family. your enemies are now my enemies." 

oleg's face was so close to ivar's that warm breath fanned out on the younger boy's porcelain skin, causing yet another chill to creep up his spine. he stared into oleg's eyes and could've sworn he saw empathy masked behind his sinister expression which puzzled him even further. 

oleg broke their eye-contact and looked back at ivar's arms which he was using to keep himself propped up on the bed. 

"give me your hand," oleg whispered. 

ivar shifted all his weight onto his right arm and held his left hand out to the prince. oleg took the boy's left hand into his right hand and intertwined their fingers.

"why did your brother try to take your place?" he asked, refixing his gaze onto ivar's cherubic face.

ivar could feel his face heating up and knew his cheeks were flushed red. he turned his head so he could stare back down at the floor.

"w-we heard stories about you along the way here. people said you were a tyrant...ruthless, cruel, and violent."

oleg chuckled darkly, closing his eyes for a brief second before reopening them. he turned to one of the many paintings that decorated the walls of his bedchamber and sighed. 

"so, he was worried about what i would do to you?"

"y-yes. he was worried that you would abuse me and that you would be even worse than the men i've been with before that have hurt me."

oleg turned back to face ivar who was still looking at the floor. he used his free hand to tenderly take ivar's chin into his hands and turned his face back towards him. he stared into ivar's ocean blue eyes, practically getting lost in the beauty of them.

"i will abuse you," he admitted truthfully, releasing his grip on the boy's face.

"i know," ivar muttered quietly and with their hands still connected, they both turned forward and stared into the flames.


	3. Self Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things get a little hot and heavy between oleg and ivar

"first things first, ivar," oleg remarked, eyeing the young boy judgingly. "you must bathe." 

oleg wasn't wrong, the boy was filthy. ivar's fingernails were caked with dirt, his greasy hair appeared dull and lifeless, and his face was covered in streaks of soot. 

the boy could feel his cheeks heating up again in embarrassment. back in norway, dirt and grime were just a normal aspect of everyday life, so he thought nothing of it. but here in rus, at the palace anyways, everyone seemed so much more...refined. compared to oleg's immaculate appearance, ivar realized he must've looked like a tramp.

"i-i guess it's been a few weeks since the last time i bathed," ivar admitted quietly.

"i can see that...and smell it." he wrinkled his nose in disapproval. "luckily, this can be easily remedied."

much to ivar's dismay, oleg insisted that his guards carry the boy to the palace's private bathhouse which only the prince and a select few others had access to. ivar felt that this was completely unnecessary, especially given the fact that harald and torstein gave him the crutches he used to help him walk before they departed from the palace. he could get around just fine on his own.

"and here we are," oleg announced, using his arms to gesture rather dramatically to the bathhouse once they finally reached it. 

the bathhouse was another massive concrete room, perhaps even bigger than oleg's bedchamber, but ivar couldn't be sure. the only piece of furniture was a long wooden bench positioned up against the wall on the right side of the room. in the center of the chamber was a long, rectangular pool of murky water. 

the two guards sat ivar down on the bench before leaving to guard the door. oleg silently approached him with his hands crossed behind his back, waiting expectantly.

"well, aren't you going to undress?" 

ivar swallowed hard as he leaned over to begin undoing the leather straps on his leg braces. oleg watched with curiosity as he removed the iron contraptions, wincing a little from the pain he felt in his lower legs as he did so. next, he carefully removed his boots which were faded and torn in some places from wear, tossing them to the side. he then moved his hands to loosen the strings on his pants and, with some difficulty, managed to pull them down so that they pooled around his ankles. oleg never took his eyes off of him and even though ivar wasn't looking at the prince, he could feel him staring. now it wasn't just his face that heated up with embarrassment, but rather his entire body. he immediately started to sweat and his pulse began to rise as his anxiety kicked in. ivar had always been self-conscious about his body due to his deformed limbs, but he felt that his appearance was somehow even more inadequate under the rus prince's gaze.

he pulled his pants from around his ankles, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the fact that oleg was intently watching, before awkwardly crawling over to the edge of the pool. he carefully lowered himself into the water and once he was immersed in it, he clung to the side of the tub despite the fact that the water was fairly shallow. 

oleg smiled.

"that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked rhetorically as he began to strip naked. it took him no time to remove his boots and clothes, standing before ivar in all his glory. the prince was obviously not self-conscious at all, and why should he be? ivar thought to himself. he was having trouble averting his eyes from oleg's godly physique. he wanted to take a long, hard look and it was taking every ounce of willpower inside of him not to do that.

the prince strolled nonchalantly over to the bench and grabbed the stack of fresh towels that had clearly been left there for them. he separated the two smaller towels from the larger towels and laid the larger ones down on the floor near the edge of the pool.

"what is that?" oleg asked as he easily slid himself into the pool, his body instantly being submerged in the water. 

"what is what?" ivar's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

he began to swim towards ivar, slowly but surely. the closer oleg got, the further ivar inched himself away. by the time the prince reached him, ivar's back was pressed up against the corner of the shallow pool. he was trying, unsuccessfully, to put as much distance between himself and oleg as possible, but the prince just kept imching closer and closer until he was directly in front of the boy and there was only about a half a foot of space between them.

"that mark on your shoulder," the prince replied, gripping the concrete ledge on either side of ivar's head so that he was trapped between his arms. 

ivar swallowed hard.

"oh." he didn't have to look to know what oleg was talking about. he vividly remembered the time the initials h and f, standing for harald finehair, had been been seared into the skin of his shoulder blade with a piece of burning metal. it had been excruciating. 

"it's a brand. my old master, harald, put it on all of his slaves. it's how he claimed ownership of us." 

oleg hummed in understanding. his eyes met ivar's and he held his gaze for a moment before looking down at ivar's plump, pink lips. they looked so soft and kissable, it made him want to ravish the boy right there in the pool. instead, he closed the space between them so that their bodies were flush against each other. he dipped his head down to the boy's neck, pressing a light kiss to his porcelain skin. ivar's breath hitched in his throat, a strange feeling was building in his stomach and he could feel his manhood twitching.

"i wonder how i should claim ownership of you," oleg mumbled against the boy's neck. he stayed there for a while, breathing in ivar's scent and enjoying the proximity between them, before finally pulling back. "i'm going to wash you up now."

the prince draped one of the towels over the edge of the pool and began to use the other to gently wash the soot from ivar's body. ivar rested his back against the stones as oleg stroked his arms and upper body with the towel. it was strange. he was just a common slave without a coin to his name and yet, here he was being bathed by a prince. ivar didn't expect the tenderness oleg had been showing him. he seemed so callous and indifferent in the way he carried himself, but he was surprisingly...pleasant.

"turn around," oleg murmured quietly and ivar obeyed without hesitation.

the prince stroked ivar's back and shoulders with the rag until he was clean enough to satisfy the prince. he placed the now dirty towel on the ledge and cupped some water in his hands, pouring it over ivar's head. once his long, dark hair was wet enough, he began massaging his fingers into ivar's scalp. the boy let his eyelids flutter closed, suppressing a moan. it felt good, really good.

when oleg was finally done, he placed his hands on ivar's waist and turned him back around to face him. they were so close in proximity that ivar could feel oleg's breath fanning out onto his face. his eyes briefly flicked down to the prince's full lips and he watched as oleg wet his lips with his tongue. when he looked back up into oleg's eyes, his pupils were dilated and his dark eyes looked even more menacing than usual. a brief moment passed between them and then suddenly oleg crashed his mouth into ivar's. 

the boy grabbed onto the stones behind to him to steady himself as the prince forcefully kissed him. oleg's hands still rested on ivar's hips and he squeezed the boy's hard body between his hands, pulling him impossibly closer. to ivar, it felt like heat was radiating from oleg's palms, chest, and everywhere else their bodies were touching. his lips moved against the man's tentatively at first, but he couldn't contain his desire for long. soon, his body naturally took over so that the passion he put into their embrace matched that of oleg's. 

it wasn't enough, ivar wanted more. he wrapped one of his arms arm around oleg's neck, deepening the kiss and bucked his hips forward so that his manhood brushed oleg's. he moaned into oleg's mouth, but before it could go any further, the prince abruptly pulled away, leaving ivar gasping and craving more of those wild kisses.

oleg ignored him, shifted to the side a little and quickly climbed out of the water.

"where are you going?" ivar asked in disbelief, holding onto the ledge as he turned around. "isn't sex my whole reason for being here?"

oleg looked over his shoulder with a smug expression plastered on his face. "oh i promise we'll get to that, just not quite yet."

he picked up one of the large towels to dry himself off and then secured it tightly around his waist. ivar was still breathing heavily, he hadn't quite calmed himself back down yet. oleg chuckled as he leaned down and hoisted the boy out of the water in one swift movement so that he was sitting beside the pool with his feet dangling in the water.

"dry off. i'll tell the guards to wait a few minutes before they come in to get you so you can have some time to...collect yourself," the prince teased as he wrapped the other towel around the boy's shoulders. ivar felt his face turning a light shade of pink. 

"i'll see you after supper."


	4. Uxoricide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oleg has something to show ivar

when the guards finally carried ivar back up to the prince's bedchamber, oleg was nowhere to be found. new clothes and more substantial boots that were appropriate for the harsh weather in rus had been laid out for him. the guards quickly departed so that he could get dressed, leaving the boy to his own devices for a while. 

the clothing they had provided for him was very different from what vikings wore. it was strange to ivar, but not completely uncomfortable. in fact, he felt much warmer once he was bundled up in his new fur, scarf, and leather gloves. they also left his crutches leaning against the bed so that he would be able to get around without crawling.

eventually, he was summoned to supper by one of the palace guards and ivar half-hoped he would see oleg, but no such luck. it was arranged so that he would eat with the rest of the servants which, of course, made sense. after all of the personal attention oleg had shown him earlier, ivar had almost forgotten that he was just a slave.

once he was done with his meal, he wondered what he should do next. should he return to oleg's bedchambers and wait for him? or should he follow the other slaves to the servants' quarters and find somewhere to retire for the night? ivar had only had a minute or two to ponder this before leiv appeared at his side, startling him.

"prince oleg summons you." he cocked his head to the side, indicating that ivar should follow him. 

the boy grabbed his crutches and brought himself to his feet as quickly as he could. leiv led him out of the dining hall and they started down a long, narrow passageway dimly lit by a few strategically hung torches. they walked for a while and ivar managed a steady pace, able to keep up with the guard for the most part. at last, the hallway opened up and ivar recognized the prince standing underneath a tall archway with a few of his other guards.

oleg smirked.

"hello, ivar. long time no see."

ivar nodded his head nervously. he wasn't sure why they were down here in the dungeons of the palace and he was starting to get worried. the prince wordlessly dismissed the guards which raised even more alarm in ivar's mind.

"i have something to show you."

oleg turned on his heels, passing through the archway and ivar followed from a safe distance behind him. the prince led him into a large chamber that was lit by hundreds of candles and decorated with large, stone pillars. near the furthest wall from the entrance was a wooden table similar to the one in oleg's room and two stone benches on opposite sides of a large fixture. there were lots of carvings on the sides of it, but what stood out the most to ivar was the statue of a woman laying on top of it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"what is this place?" he asked, staring at the statue. 

he followed the prince over to the installment and stood there staring at it, but oleg barely glanced at it. instead, he continued walking over to the table and picked up one of the candlesticks that sat upon it.

"a mausoleum of my dead wife," oleg finally replied with his back towards ivar. "the most sacred place in the palace...and the most sacred place in my heart."

ivar tore his eyes away from the statue, realizing there was a body buried beneath it. this was a tomb. all of a sudden, the bad feeling he had earlier about being down here returned.

"h-how did she die," he asked quietly, staring at the back of oleg's head.

the prince stared into the flame of the candle for a few moments before setting it back down on the table. he turned back to face ivar slowly.

"i killed her."

ivar's pulse quickened as oleg started walking towards him. he wished he could run away, but even if he could, he knew that would not be a wise decision. 

he thought about how kind oleg had been to him earlier, how strange it had seemed. he knew it was too good to be true, oleg was a madman, and yet...although he was frightened by him, it didn't lessen his physical attraction to oleg one bit. the man was like a magnet, slowly pulling ivar further and further into the abyss.

"she was young and foolish," oleg continued as he came to stand beside ivar, who didn't dare take his eyes off of the prince. "i discovered that she was sleeping with one of my aides."

oleg took a few steps forward, placing a hand on the statue.

"i loved her...she was enchanting."

he looked over his shoulder at the boy, a single tear running down his face. ivar saw remorse behind the man's eyes and suddenly, all the fear he previously felt disappeared. his heart swelled for the prince. his feelings had been crushed by a woman he loved and ivar could relate to that more than oleg knew.

"i thought of her all the time...even on the battlefield," he admitted, roughly wiping the tears from his face. "yet, all that time, in some sordid room here in the palace, she was secretly betraying me."

"i know your pain," ivar whispered, dropping his gaze down to the floor.

oleg turned back around to face him, but their eyes didn't meet.

"then you know all about the fickleness of women."

he advanced toward ivar and the boy quickly looked up, a solemn expression plastered on his face as if he was remembering some past regret.

"i don't bring many people down here, but i think you and i are going to have a very special relationship."

when he was close enough, the prince delicately placed his hands on the boy's waist, careful not to knock him off balance. he leaned in further so that his forehead was resting against ivar's.

"i truly think so."


	5. The Widowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oleg and ivar finally give in to their impulses

oleg led ivar back up to his bedchambers unaccompanied by the guards. the trip was quiet, neither of them uttered a word, but the silence wasn't awkward. in fact, their walk through the dimly lit palace was unexpectedly peaceful as they both processed the moment they shared back in the mausoleum. ivar felt as though he understood the prince a little better now and, in a small way, could relate to him.

oleg opened the door for ivar and ivar nodded in appreciation as he shuffled through the threshold. the prince followed, quickly shutting the door behind them. ivar began making his way over to the bed, but oleg caught him by his arm. the boy stopped in his tracks, turning back around to face oleg with curiosity in his eyes.

"tell me about your fiancé," oleg requested softly.

ivar felt his heart drop into his stomach at the mere mention of her and he sucked in a sharp breath. the memories were almost too much for him to bear, but it'd been so long since he last spoke of her.

"her name was freydis," ivar started, swallowing the lump of emotion that had formed in his throat. "her father was the earl of nearby settlement and my father wanted his warriors to accompany him on raids..."

as the boy spoke, oleg lifted his arm and began placing a light trail of wet kisses on the inside of his wrist and up his forearm. ivar's voice trailed off, his focus being pulled to what the prince was doing.

"please, go on," he mumbled into ivar's skin.

"h-her father wanted something in return, an advantageous marriage f-for his daughter," ivar stuttered out. "s-so they n-negoatiated that she and i w-would be married." he could barely think straight with the way oleg was touching him.

oleg took a step forward, closing the space between them and snaked his arm around the boy's waist. ivar's body immediately stiffened.

"and did you...love her?" oleg asked curiously before dipping his head down to place a kiss on the area where ivar's neck and jaw met. 

"yes, i loved her with all my heart," he replied truthfully, ignoring the fluttering in his stomach. oleg nudged the boy's head to the side slightly, so he could have better access to his neck.

"i could tell she didn't feel the same though," ivar admitted, his chest tightening. "i suspected she was sleeping with someone else, but i didn't blame her for it..."

his voice trailed off again and ge shrugged, "i could never really please her sexually because of my legs."

ivar felt oleg's lips curling into a smile against his neck. 

"women like to be dominated whether they're willing to admit or not." the prince lifted his head slightly, catching the boy's earlobe between his teeth. "we are kindred spirits, you and i," he whispered hotly into ivar's ear. 

ivar's breath hitched in his throat and his body slumped against oleg's hard frame. oleg could feel the boy's form becoming weak in his arms. he secured both arms around ivar's waist so he could support his weight and ivar's eyes fluttered closed as the prince slightly lifted him off the ground, his crutches clattering to the floor. 

oleg carried him over to the bed and placed him down. the boy looked up at him innocently and their eyes locked for a moment before the prince's eyes trailed down to the boy's soft, inviting lips. he wanted to taste them again and the pull was even stronger now than it had been before. but instead of giving in to his compulsion, he leaned forward and pressed his hands into the bed on either side of ivar's body. 

"the reason i didn't take you right there in the water earlier is because i wanted to make sure my first time fucking you would be something you'd never forget."

the prince's words were intense and his gaze was even more vehement. ivar bit his lip and the sight was so arousing to oleg, he practically growled. 

"take this off," the prince ordered, motioning to the binds on ivar's lower legs. 

ivar wasted no time, he skillfully removed the straps and tossed the contraption to the side along with his shoes. 

as soon as he was done, oleg gripped the back of ivar's neck roughly and crashed his mouth into his, unable to fight the urge any longer. the kiss was hot, hotter than the one they shared earlier if that was even possible. ivar took oleg's face in his hands, responding to the kiss without any hesitation this time. he felt his pants getting tighter and wished his clothes weren't there to restrict them.

oleg gripped ivar's wrists, pulling his hands away from his face and forcing him to lay on his back. the prince hovered over ivar, keeping the boy's wrists pinned over his head with one hand. ivar whined at the loss of contact, impatiently wiggling underneath the man.

"i want you to forget every man or woman you ever slept with before me," oleg hissed as he used his free hand to tear off ivar's shirt.

once it was discarded, he let go of ivar's wrists and moved further down the boy's body. his lips ghosted over ivar's lower stomach and the boy squirmed in anticipation. oleg used one arm to support his weight as he began littering the boy's pale, but hard abdomen with open-mouthed kisses while using the other to unlace ivar's trousers.

ivar was a moaning mess beneath him, fisting the prince's shirt as pleasure washed over him. his breathing became increasingly more heavy, his chest rising and falling erratically. the prince moved his hands up ivar's chest, lightly dragging the pads of his thumbs over the boy's nipples as he continued to attack his body with his mouth.

"please," ivar begged breathily as he tangled his fingers into oleg's short, dark hair.

oleg lifted his head slightly to look up at the boy, a mischievous smile plastered across his face.

"please what?" he cocked his head to the side a little as he continued to play with ivar's nipples, roughly rubbing the tips between the pads of his thumbs and index fingers. ivar whimpered in response and the prince just chuckled.

he stopped teasing the boy and stood back to take in his appearance. ivar lay sprawled out on the bed, his whole body flushed a light pink color. his long hair was disheveled, some of it sticking to his damp forehead. his chest rose and fell quickly and his dazzling blue eyes were wild with lust. he was unbelievably gorgeous.

"astonishing." the word fell from oleg's lips as he stared in awe at the beautiful young man before him.

"what?" ivar asked, genuinely confused.

"you. you're beautiful, ivar."

ivar shook his head, he would never believe that was true. he had been ostracized all his life for being crippled and different, there was no way anyone could ever admire him or find him attractive. he knew that a lot of the men who rented male slaves for pleasure from his previous owners chose him, but he figured it was just because he was an easy target and couldn't really object to anything they wanted to do to him.

"don't argue with me," oleg warned as he gently tugged the boy's pants off. 

ivar's manhood sprang up, slapping the bottom of his stomach. as he realized he was naked in front of such a stunning and powerful man, his face reddened and he wished he could take back his earlier wish as his self-consciousness came flooding back. 

oleg didn't seem to notice though, he was too busy removing his own clothes. the boy watched with fascination as the large, russian man got undressed and his eyes widened when he saw his erection. 

"this time will be different," the prince started as he moved back onto the bed. "you won't lay motionless underneath me wishing it was over, i want you to savor every moment..." his voice trailed off as he traced the outline of ivar's v-lines with his index finger.

normally, this would've had the boy squirming, but he was too distracted by what oleg was saying to react. he rarely enjoyed it before when he was forced to have sex with other men and they were usually cruel to him. he was used to faking moans to please them, but he didn't have to fake anything with oleg. everything he felt with him, even in such a short amount of time, had been authentic. no matter how many people he had had sex with, he had never felt such anticipation or been so captivated by someone...not even freydis. the desire he felt for the prince in this moment was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. his whole body was tingling with excitement. it was amazing and yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that nothing good could come of this attraction. after all, oleg was a prince and ivar was nothing but a slave.

oleg knew nothing of the boy's inner turmoil as he gently gripped ivar's frail legs behind his knees and carefully bent them so his feet were on the bed. 

"i usually like it rough, but we'll make due for now. until i become more familiar with your limitations, we'll stick to the basics," oleg said as he slid off the furniture and kneeled on the floor in front of ivar so that he was looking directly at the boy's entrance. 

ivar wasn't exactly sure what the prince meant by that, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it. he felt oleg moisten his puckered hole with saliva and gripped the fur blanket underneath him as he prepared for what came next. oleg pushed his index finger inside of ivar and the boy hissed at the feeling of discomfort. it had been a while, but the pain was still tolerable. he just tried to focus on relaxing rather than tensing his body up as he clutched the thick fabric. after a few moments, oleg pushed another finger in and the discomfort slowly turned into pleasure. the blue-eyed boy moaned softly as the prince curled his fingers inside of him, his long eyelashes fanning out on his cheeks as his eyes fluttered closed.

a few more moments passed before oleg decided ivar was finally ready to take him. he slowly moved up between ivar's legs, leaving a trail of wet kisses up his inner thigh as he went. eventually, he came face to face with ivar who peered up at him, looking as beautiful as ever. oleg took ivar's left hand in his right and placed his free hand on ivar's hip as he lined himself up with the boy's entrance.

"call me master."

that's all he said before forcefully thrusting into the young boy beneath him. ivar's mouth fell open, but no sound came out. oleg had literally knocked the wind out of him. he squeezed oleg's hand, their bodies moving simultaneously with every thrust of the prince's hips. he set an agonizingly slow pace, but his thrusts were hard and deep. 

ivar's mind went blank and he couldn't do anything except lay there with his eyes glued to the ceiling as oleg filled his senses. his manly musk filled his nostrils, warmth pulsated from his touch and they were touching everywhere, and his heavy breathing mixed with his own was the only sound he could hear as if they were the only two people in the entire world.

as oleg picked up the pace of his thrusts a little, ivar finally found his voice and his loud, high-pitched moans filled the room. suddenly oleg removed his hand from ivar's hip and tightly wrapped it around his throat, restricting his air flow.

"say it," oleg hissed through gritted teeth, never ceasing or even slowing down his thrusts. 

ivar gasped for air. he felt like he was about to pass out and he didn't know if it was because oleg was choking the life out of him or because he was overwhelmed by the indescribable sensation the prince's cock was giving him.

"master," ivar managed to squeak out and oleg immediately loosened his grip on the boy's throat.

the prince unlaced his fingers from ivar's and pressed both of his palms into the bed to give himself more leverage. a gasp escaped the young boy's parted lips as oleg changed the angle of his hips to hit ivar's sweet spot over and over again. ivar pressed his fingers into oleg's triceps with one hand and pressed his free hand into the bed's wooden headboard to keep himself from sliding backwards with the force of oleg's thrusts. 

"deeper," he whimpered, tossing his head back. he wished he could wrap his legs around oleg's waist to deepen the thrusts.

the prince complied, setting an even more punishing pace which had the boy crying out the word "master" as he came undone underneath him. his thrusts became harder, deeper and ivar's back arched up off the bed in response. oleg dipped his head down to the boy's ear and nipped at his earlobe.

"you are mine now," he practically growled in ivar's ear. "and i am very possessive..."

ivar was barely paying attention to the words. his eyes traveled around the room absentmindedly, his mind having gone completely blank as the intense pleasure overcame his senses. he could feel the sensation of his orgasm building in his stomach, he was very close. he tightened his grip on oleg's arm and the prince hissed in pain, but ivar barely noticed. his legs shook as waves of pleasure washed over him. 

the prince shifted his weight to one arm and moved his other hand to stroke the boy's rock hard member. all it took was two pumps and ivar cursed loudly, holding onto oleg for dear life. he was orgasming so hard, it felt like the whole world was spinning and if he let go of oleg, he would surely fall off the face of the earth. his hot, milky-colored semen came out in ribbons, landing on both of their torsos. 

oleg's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he rode out ivar's orgasmn, feeling ivar's tight heat spasm around him was enough to send him over the edge. his thrusts became sloppy and erratic as he reached his climax and he emitted a low, guttural groan before ejaculating inside of the boy lying limply beneath him. his body collapsed in a heap on top of ivar's. both of them were panting heavily and sweating profusely, their dark hair sticking to their damp foreheads.

neither of them said a word for a long time until ivar finally broke the silence.

"i guess i like to be dominated too."


	6. Puppet Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oleg and ivar spend the morning together

oleg and ivar sat shoulder to shoulder in the dimly lit space on a rectangular, crimson-colored cushion that was placed there on the floor for them by the palace servants no doubt. this was ivar's first time being here and he quickly decided that this was his favorite room because it was so different from all of the other places he'd been so far in the palace. it was a quaint, dome-shaped chamber with wooden walls and tiled floors that designed multiple different patterns. a large, stone fixture hung from the ceiling and there were windows covered in dark netting, allowing streaks of sunlight to stream into the room. other than that, the only light in the room emanated from the few strategically placed torches on the walls and two large paper lanterns suspended in the air by bamboo sticks. the decor fascinated ivar, there was nothing even remotely similar to this back in kattegat.

currently, the two men were watching a puppet show which was apparently a source of entertainment in this part of the world. ivar had never seen anything like it before, but it was something oleg enjoyed so he invited the boy to come and experience it with him.

ivar wasn't exactly sure how they had orchestrated this, but there seemed to be a man hidden behind a black curtain, controlling the wooden puppets through the opening while narrating the story they were portraying. meanwhile, another man softly played a tune on some kind of string instrument in the background. 

"what do you think of these eastern puppets," oleg whispered without looking at the boy, his eyes still transfixed on the performance in front of him.

ivar shrugged.

"i like them," he whispered back. "i wish someone could hold me up like that..."

oleg could hear the longing in ivar's voice and, though he still didn't look over at him, gave his hand a solacing squeeze. ivar looked down at their interlocked hands and smiled a little. warmth and comfort pulsated from the prince's touch. thinking about the older man's touch caused him to recall the events of the night before and ivar felt a blush creep up onto his cheeks as he remembered oleg fucking him into oblivion.

the two men had both drifted off into a deep sleep in the prince's bed soon afterwards. ivar had woken up wrapped in oleg's arms and he would've stayed there cuddled up against him for the rest of his life if he could've. although they hadn't stayed in bed all day, they had still spent the entire morning together which was the next best thing. 

ivar couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy, but for some reason...it made him nervous. 

"through the shadows and the light, he can see she is there...but not alone," the puppet master narrated and ivar's focus snapped back to the show he forgot they'd been watching.

the two puppets' heads turned to face the other side of the room and the two men turned to look as well. another puppet emerged from the shadows behind them, controlled by someone else, and pointed towards the other puppets that were caught in an embrace. 

the puppet master continued, "it is his wife...beautiful, faithless. rage, sorrow, and loss fills his heart."

ivar and oleg turned, facing forward again as they followed the story. 

"the rumors and whispers were true."

the male puppet who had been embracing the female puppet fell to the ground, its wooden limbs twisted at awkward angles.

"he kills her lover. then in his anguish, he strikes her." the other male puppet stabs the female one with a wooden sword. 

"again and again," the puppeteer raised his voice for dramatic effect. "she does not cry out...she falls to the ground lifeless, unmoving. yet, it is not his wife, but the king who is wounded...forever suspicious, his trust broken."

realization hit ivar like a ton of bricks and he turned to look at oleg who was captivated by the show, his intense gaze fixed on the puppets. he looked distraught, anguished. a single tear rolled down his cheek.

this was the story of oleg and his wife.

ivar shifted on the cushion uncomfortably and withdrew his hand from oleg's, suddenly feeling very detached from him despite their proximity.

"his soul cheated, his cup full of bitterness," the narrator went on. "betrayed. alone."

ivar could see oleg's jaw clenching and unclenching as he listened to the words and he could only imagine what was going through his mind.

"did this great, loving king deserve this?"

oleg roughly wiped the tears from his face and ivar turned away from him, feeling even more uncomfortable. it was as if he was intruding on a private moment and, as much as he had enjoyed spending so much time with the prince, he was ready for them to go their separate ways at this point.

"i have to go to novgorod," oleg said after the show had ended and the men who had performed were packing up to leave.

neither of them looked at each other.

"novgorod," ivar repeated slowly. he had never heard of this place, the name was foreign to him. 

oleg nodded before continuing, "my brother lives there, i need to talk to him. i have family business to attend to..."

his voice trailed off and he finally turned to face the boy. when he saw that he wasn't looking back at him, he gently grabbed his chin and turned his face towards his.

"then i can concentrate on building a fleet and raising an army. once i have achieved my goal of becoming the sole ruler of constantinople, we shall attack those saxons who destroyed your family."

oleg removed his hand from ivar's chin and gently traced the boy's soft, pink lips with the tip of his index finger. ivar's heart thumped harder in his chest.

"you will meet my ward, prince igor," he went on, finally dropping his hand from the boy's face. "he's the son of my dead brother-in-law, king rorik."

his features twisted into that of anger and disgust as he turned away from the beautiful boy beside him. 

"igor is the true heir to the kingdom..."


	7. Kill Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a short filler chapter

about an hour later, ivar stood outside of the palace gates wrapped up in a thick fur and a wool scarf to protect him from the cold. he stood back, listening to oleg from afar as he barked out orders to the fifteen guards that would be accompanying them on their journey to novgorod. when oleg initially informed ivar about the trip, he hadn't realized that the prince intended for him to come as well. but here he was, feeling very nervous about travelling to this strange land called novgorod. he had a bad feeling about it and he wasn't sure why oleg wanted him, of all people, to be there. 

he would just slow them down...

ivar felt something cold and wet on his forehead, he hadn't noticed the flurry of snowflakes that now fell from the clouds above. he closed his eyes and turned his face up to the sky, letting the snowflakes collect on his cheeks and in his hair. 

ivar hadn't realized that oleg was watching him from about fifty feet away and now the prince couldn't tear his eyes away from the boy as he smiled up at the sky, his expression reflecting that of childlike wonder. he sucked in a breath as he stared in awe at the utterly breathtaking vision before him. 

oleg began walking towards ivar, unbeknownst to the boy, who now poked out his tongue to catch snowflakes in his mouth. the prince chuckled and the sound of his voice startled ivar. he quickly stopped what he was doing and looked over at oleg, his cheeks flushing an even deeper red than they already were from the cold. 

his eyelids still slightly hooded his bright eyes and the snowflakes that had fallen onto his long, dark eyelashes began to melt.

"beautiful," oleg whispered softly as he stared into the boy's mesmerizingly blue eyes. 

ivar shook his head and oleg clicked his tongue in response, a glimmer of a smile playing on his lips.

"i thought i told you not to argue with me," he said with a hint of humor laced in his voice.

ivar cut his gaze the icy ground beneath his feet, unsure how to respond. luckily, he didn't have to because at that exact moment, one of oleg's guards rode up on a horse and stopped a few feet away from them.

"we're ready, your highness." the guard gestured to the men not far behind behind him who were also approaching on horseback. 

ivar noticed that the two guards in the very back of the group each held the reins of an unaccompanied horse and then he realized that one of those horses was meant for him.

"o-oh, i-i can't ride," ivar stammered, embarrassed about having to explain this.

"why not?" oleg asked. his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but as soon as the words left his mouth, realization colored his features. 

"my legs would be useless in the stirrups..."

sixteen pairs of eyes now stared down at ivar's feeble lower limbs and feet that were turned in at an awkward angle. he wished he could disappear, but then he had an interesting thought. maybe this was how he could convince oleg to leave him at the palace rather than forcing him to travel to novgorod.

"okay, so how did you usually travel and...how did you even get here?" oleg asked, whispering the second part of his question.

"by wagon or by carriage and well..." ivar frowned before continuing,"harald used to just lay me across the saddle, but the horse couldn't run if you did that which would slow you down significantly so i think...maybe i should just stay here instead."

ivar inwardly hoped oleg would agree to let him stay at the palace, but to no avail.

"nonsense, we'll just take it slow," oleg shrugged and turned back to face the guards, looking around at them expectantly.

"well, you heard him! get this man on a horse!" 

the two guards in the back led the extra horses to the front. oleg quickly climbed onto one of the mares and grabbed the reins, turning the animal around as he motioned with his head for the others to follow his lead.

the majority of the guards started on the path behind the prince, but a couple of them hung back to help get ivar situated on his horse. he tossed his crutches to the side and wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders. they supported his weight on either side and then lifted him onto the animal so that he laid across its back. ivar let out a huff of frustration as they began to move very slowly so as not to knock him off of the horse. 

he hated this.

"kill me now," he whispered to himself through gritted teeth and tightened his grip on the saddle.


End file.
